24/11-10   -   Press releases

Sweden&Denmark: Øresund’s ICT in humanitarian development

Modern technology in humanitarian operations and development can help improving living conditions and crisis situations in the third world. Øresund IT represents the strong ICT cluster of the region in a new initiative for technologies and emergency aid.

ICT today plays a decisive role in development- as well as disaster situations. A specifically difficult period is right after a catastrophe when there is a need for establishment of connection to disaster area to create an overview of the magnitude of the catastrophe. This stage will be faster and more efficient with help from modern technologies – and this was discussed at a workshop hosted by Øresund Logistics that gathered researchers; practitioners; and consultants from humanitarian and technological organizations for brain storming and idea development on this topic.

- It seems absolutely natural to us who work with ICT in the Øresund Region on a daily basis that a new innovation focused humanitarian project includes this particular region to find solutions to existing challenges, says Camilla Christensen, Project Coordinator at Øresund IT for the BrandIT project. She explains further;

- We have so many competences within applied ICT in the Øresund Region, and of course Øresund IT are excited to be able to represent these competences, projects, and products and to be a part of the discussion about what the humanitarian organizations actually need in terms of technology; hence how the industry can contribute. After such discussions we can initiate a specific dialogue with our network in attempt to improve the processes.

The start-up company ViewWorld also participated in the workshop in November, and they do not doubt the impact of technological solutions on the development in the world’s most exposed and poorest countries. ViewWorld recently launched a new product to make it easier to collect as well as present data through a mobile application that e.g. can be used for humanitarian matters.

- It is really interesting to meet and brain-storm about such an exciting topic – it is extremely important to generate new ideas because efficient communication is one of the great challenges in disaster management as well as in long-term development projects, says Rune Bech Persson, Project Manager at ViewWorld.

Øresund Logistics works to establish a platform for humanitarian knowledge and innovation to assist collaboration between actors in the Øresund Region working with emergency aid; disaster management; and development projects. The purpose is to encourage knowledge sharing from fieldwork and research in order to take a leap and improve solutions and methods of collaboration.